staceybooks

Nine years ago, I ended my sentence. There was still one and one fifth years of parole ahead of me, but that day marked the moment I walked out and went home. I was free. At least physically. What I did not understand then was that freedom does not arrive all at once. It does…

Some days, it feels like nothing lands the way it should. You say the wrong thing. You miss something you shouldn’t have. You work hard, yet it still feels like you’re behind. Even your best intentions seem to fall flat. By the end of the day, you’re left wondering how everything you touched managed to…

Most change doesn’t start with a breakthrough. It starts with a decision no one sees. Not the loud, public kind. The quiet kind. The kind you make when no one is clapping, watching, or rescuing you. We spend a lot of time waiting for circumstances to improve. For someone to show up. For the system…

Every life changed, every job earned, every family restored, and every second chance reclaimed has one thing in common: someone believed enough to give. Donors aren’t just contributors. They’re co-authors in the success stories of the people we serve. When someone steps out of incarceration, homelessness, poverty, or generational trauma, the bridge they cross into…

Every year, we talk about giving, generosity, and the importance of showing up for others. But there are moments when giving becomes more than a seasonal gesture – it becomes the foundation for real change, the kind of transformation that strengthens families, neighborhoods, and entire communities. This year, our two fundraisers – Second Chances: Stronger…

If you’ve followed my journey, you already know that Persevere isn’t just a nonprofit to me – it’s a purpose. It’s a mission born from lived experience, hard lessons, second chances, and the belief that people can rebuild their lives when someone believes in them. And now, as we prepare for 2026, I’m stepping into…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much power we actually have over our own situations. Not over the things that blindside us – like job loss, tragedy, natural disasters, or moments we never saw coming. Life hands us storms we didn’t choose, storms we didn’t create, and storms we never felt prepared to…

Second chances are not created by hope alone. They are built through structure, policy, accountability, and intentional investment. After understanding the economic impact in Part 1 and the workforce opportunity in Part 2, Part 3 focuses on what actually works. What does a real second-chance system look like? What are the practices that move people…

In Part 1, we talked about the financial cost of incarceration and the wasted potential of keeping millions of people locked out of the workforce. But the truth runs even deeper. Second chances are not just about reducing the cost of imprisonment. They are about filling critical gaps in our economy, strengthening industries that are…

How we speak to someone can determine whether they respond with hope or despair. Words carry weight, and sometimes, they are the only thing holding someone together. The recent deaths of Kyren Lacy and Marshawn Kneeland, both just 24 years old, have shaken so many of us. Kyren Lacy, a former LSU wide receiver, died…